Radio Amateurs of Canada has issued a bulletin concerning the floods anticipated in southern Manitoba.

All Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) units in Manitoba have been asked to activate to a state of operational readiness for flood-related operations.

A request for ARES assistance was initiated by the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization and the City of Winnipeg Emergency Program staff. According to the RAC bulletin both organizations are in the process of activating their Emergency Operations Centres and have requested ARES trained radio operators to begin staffing the radio rooms at the facilities beginning Monday March 30, 2009.

This is an important moment for ARES members in Manitoba and ham radio operators across Canada as officials in Winnipeg will get a first-hand opportunity to watch as volunteers implement and staff a professional-quality communications network capable of providing essential and even emergency links for affected communities and emergency responders.

Sue Cooke, VE3SUH, RAC’s new vice-president of field services, suggests that Canadian amateur radio operators who are not already a member of an ARES-Alert group, might wish to check out the link below for additional information. Membership in this group will provide you with additional messages of this nature. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARES-Alert/